Birth Rate is a crude measure of fertility of a population and is a crucial determinant of population growth. It gives the number of live births per thousand population in a given region and year. The Birth Rate at all India level has declined drastically over the last five decades …
function maps() { var popurl="files/images/20060515/42-map.jpg" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=300,height=350,scrollbars=yes") } The residents of Aizawl are taking to piped water in a big way. The town, once a model for urban rainwater harvesting practices, is now looking for water from the rivers in the valley. The city’s uniquely different topographic setup has added to …
Aproposed gas pipeline that is supposed to pass through Mizoram has evoked strong protests from the Human Rights Network of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples, North East Chapter. Protesters claim the pipeline will cause ecological damage to the state. A proposal was drafted by South Korea's Daewoo group and gail to extract gas …
function table() { var popurl="files/images/20051031/27-table.jpg" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=500,height=275,scrollbars=yes") } In 1959 the lives of the Mizo people in northeast India was morphed completely by the flowering of a bamboo species called Melocanna baccifera or mautak , as they call it. It led to famine, an armed insurrection, more than 3,000 people dead …
function table() { var popurl="files/images/20051031/36.jpg" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=420,height=430,scrollbars=yes") } India has a stock of 80.40 million tonnes of bamboo in its forests, as reported by the Planning Commission in 2003. Northeastern states account for 66 per cent of the total stock (see: Pole position). inbar estimates domestic trade in bamboo involves 20.30 …
The incidence of stomach cancer in India is lower than that of any other country around the world. However, in Mizoram, one of the north-eastern state of India, a very high age-adjusted incidence of stomach cancer is recorded. A hospital-based case-control study was carried out to identify the influence of …
the north-eastern states of Mizoram and Manipur have intensified their protest against the Rs 5,000 crore Tipaimukh hydro-electric dam, proposed to be constructed on River Barak at the tri-junction of Manipur, Mizoram and Assam. Bangladesh has already been opposing the project (see Down To Earth,
the resolve to rid agriculture of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, expressed by Sikkim an year ago, has been given a shot in the arm by Mizoram. The state made history by becoming the first in the country to legislate for turning its entire agricultural produce organic. It passed the Mizoram …
The right-to-food campaign gets a fillip with the Common Minimum Programme of the new government incorporating far-reaching commitments on food security and the evolving constitutional doctrine that public welfare is a core obligation of the state. IT could be coincidence. Or it could be the case that committed public interventions …
The bamboo industry in India has an industry growth rate ranging between 15 and 20 per cent. The tallest grass has nearly 1,500 recorded uses ranging from medicines and handicrafts to construction. Though India offers a large potential for growth in this sector, poor management and delay in cultivation can …
the Union government is reconsidering its decision to curtail central support to states for projects under the Integrated Forest Protection Scheme (ifps). The new arrangement, which requires the centre to provide 75 per cent of the ventures' cost instead of bearing the entire expenses, has caused a lot of resentment …
model town: Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, is likely to be the northeast region's first planned township. The move to prepare the city's master plan was actually triggered by fears about an impending earthquake and a rapidly expanding hill town that is already bursting at its seams. In stark contrast …
Bamboo flowering is considered a bad omen in several northeastern states of India, especially when accompanied by an increase in rodent population. It is believed to lead to famines and natural calamities. The next bamboo flowering is expected around year 2003-04. Should we prepare ourselves? On October 29, 1958 the …
Unquiet woods With the ban and without access to forest revenue, Northeast economy is in doldrums THERE is an unusual quietness in the forests of India's northeast, arguably the country's best timberlands and one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Brought about by the Supreme Court's blanket ban on tree felling …
THE ban comes at a time when the region's economy is in an inertia and is desperate for an economic miracle. The post-ban realisation of the economic potential of forests and the apex court's instruction to measure the sustainability of forests comes as a reminder of the development model that …
Ban blessing Some people in the region regard the ban as a blessing in disguise. Though the situation was difficult initially, they have ventured into other sources of income. In Tirap district, many people once involved in timber trade have now switched to tea cultivation. Says Mithi: "We are promoting …
Reinforcing laws The court acted methodically. First, it asked states to define forests. Interestingly, a clear definition of forests is not given in the existing legal instruments - Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980, Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act, 1988, and the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Under Section 2 of the FCA …
